NEW LAND ROVER FREELANDER AT THE NEW YORK AUTO SHOW

NEW YORK, April 12 -- Land Rover's new Freelander will make its New York debut at the 2001 New York International Automobile Show. With this new vehicle, Land Rover has identified a new niche within the hotly contested and rapidly expanding small sport-utility segment. At a press conference held today, Land Rover North America, Inc.'s president and CEO Howard Mosher detailed plans to enter this niche and significantly increase Land Rover's North American sales in calendar year 2002. Mr. Mosher described Freelander as a new, small, premium sport-utility targeted at driving enthusiasts. The new Freelander will create and define the "premium small sport-utility" segment in the same way Range Rover helped establish the "luxury sport-utility" segment when it was launched in the U.S. in 1987. The new Freelander will be launched in North America in the fourth quarter of 2001. The first all-new Land Rover for North America since 1994, Freelander will join the already successful Range Rover and Discovery Series II models, expanding the British automaker's North American line of vehicles to three models. "When Freelander arrives, it will be priced under $30,000. As you'd expect, the excitement this vehicle has already generated is filling order books," said Mr. Mosher. Freelander Kensington, the concept vehicle shown at Land Rover's New York auto show press conference, was developed and built by Land Rover Special Vehicles, the company's in-house producer of specialty and built-to-order Land Rovers. This luxurious vehicle, finished in a Black Cherry paint scheme, visually demonstrates the refined and capable character that is at the heart of every Land Rover. From the earliest stages of development, a fundamental objective for Freelander was to establish an aesthetic standard in the small SUV segment. Freelander's clean lines capture the adventure and excitement at the core of the new concept while also evoking the unmistakable Land Rover character and pedigree. In keeping with the Land Rover values of engineering integrity and fit- for-purpose design, Freelander's styling has evolved from a very carefully considered basic package that combines a roomy and versatile cabin layout with a rugged, all-wheel-drive chassis configuration that is exceptionally capable on- or off-road. Freelander is the first Land Rover in history to combine unit-body construction with a fully independent suspension. This approach was chosen with consideration of the vehicle's size, which is smaller than previous Land Rovers. The result is an ideal combination of ride and handling both on- and off-road. The basis of the suspension is a MacPherson-type strut arrangement for each wheel, with steel subframes mounted rigidly to the body at the front and rear. Generous amounts of wheel travel are provided: seven inches (180 mm) at the front and a full eight inches (204 mm) at the rear. Looking underneath a Freelander, one could easily think that this robust vehicle has a separate frame. There are substantial longitudinal box-section rails running the length of the floorpan, tied together and to the underbody by no less than eight integral crossmembers similar to the ladder-frame construction beneath other Land Rover models. The structure above the floorpan is equally strong. This focus on structural rigidity allows Freelander to shrug off the most severe operating stresses and strains. Measured on a torsional test rig, the five-door Freelander is impressive: it requires nearly 13,000 pound-feet of twisting force to generate just one degree of deflection across its wheelbase. Engineers subjected "test mules" to the cruelest ordeals, such as 3,000 successful miles on Land Rover's torturous test track. One thousand miles on this track is normally considered a good "lifetime" test. The power unit for the North American market is Land Rover's KV6 engine, a 2.5-litre, 24-valve, double overhead camshaft (DOHC) unit developing an estimated 175 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Final ratings for the North American-specification Freelander have not yet been established. The V6 engine is exceptionally light and compact in relation to its capacity and power. The efficient and quick engine will be mated to a Jatco five-speed Steptronic automatic transmission that offers either the convenience of an automatic or the responsive precision of a five-speed manual shifter. All Freelanders sold in North America will also feature permanent all- wheel drive; a center viscous coupling unit (VCU) similar to that of Range Rover; four-wheel Electronic Traction Control (4ETC); Land Rover's patented Hill Descent Control (HDC); and an all-terrain Anti-lock Braking System (ABS). No other vehicle in the segment offers this level of innovation. Freelander, the third model in Land Rover North America's lineup, will help lead the company's growth and expansion in the coming years. Sales of just over 27,000 units in 2000 will increase to more than 40,000 units in calendar year 2002. To support this growth, Land Rover North America will continue to expand its award-winning network of Land Rover Centres. Currently, Land Rover counts 131 retail outlets in the U.S., 89 of which are critically-acclaimed Land Rover Centres. This number will grow by 20 percent in the next 18 months. Land Rover Centres, stand-alone Land Rover retail outlets, continue to score near the top of the industry in terms of sales satisfaction thanks in part to extensive and wide-ranging training programs developed for retailers by Land Rover University. The Centre concept was launched by Land Rover North America in 1994 and has now become a model for Land Rover retailing around the world.

LAND ROVER FREELANDER KENSINGTON CONCEPT VEHICLE - FEATURES

EXTERIOR

* Black Cherry paint finish. Color-keyed wing mirrors, bumpers, wheel- arches, lower rear-door panel, fuel filler door and door handles. * Horizontal grille bar and lower front bumper finished in Titanium Silver. * Titanium Silver 18-inch "Comet"-style wheels.

INTERIOR

* Land Rover Special Vehicles-designed seats finished in ruched Tan leather with Black saddle-style stitching. * Door panels finished in Black leather with Tan leather inserts. Black, deep-pile luxury carpets. * Leather enhancement package including Tan leather gear knob and gaiter, handbrake grip and gaiter and door grabs, all with Black saddle-style stitching. * Steering wheel finished in duo-tone Black and Tan leather with Black stitching. * Instrument panel fascia kit painted in Black Cherry. * Interior trim components finished in Black and "Brunel" silver.

AUDIO EQUIPMENT Premium in-car entertainment including in-dash, single-disc CD head unit, premium-grade harman/kardon(R) amplifier and speaker system with rear-mounted subwoofer.

NOTE: harman/kardon(R) is a registered trademark of Harman International.

Land Rover North America, Inc., established in 1986, imports and distributes Range Rover and Discovery Series II vehicles manufactured for sale in the U.S. by Land Rover Group Limited in Solihull, England. Land Rover's worldwide operations are wholly owned by Ford Motor Co., Dearborn, Mich.